Take The High Road STV Wiki
Take The High Road Take The Hig h Road (known as simply High Road from 1994) is a rural serial drama produced by Scottish Television (now STV) from 19 February 1980-27 April 2003. Unusually for a half-hour serial drama, only one episode a week was produced. The show only aired 40 weeks a year until March 1986, when it began to air all year round. It was aired on the ITV network (including Grampian) until 1994, when it was dropped. Due to complaints, it was reinstated in several ITV regions, but by the show's demise in 2003 (although filming had actually concluded in 2000, due to a massive backlog of episodes), it was only airing on Grampian, Scottish, Border and UTV. UTV were the last to complete the series, in 2004. It is set in the fictional village of Glendarroch in Argyll & Bute. Exterior scenes were actually filmed in the real-life village of Luss In total, 1'520 episodes were produced, including 3 specials. Title Card The title card kept similar themes throughout the show's run, usually stock, sweeping shots of Loch Lomond and surrounding areas, as opposed to Glendarroch/Luss itself. Theme Tune Four versions of the theme tune existed; 1980-1982, 1982-1986, 1986-1989 and then the very familiar, rocky 1990 theme which lasted until the show's end in 2003. Premise COMING SOON 'BUSINESS/EDUCATION' *''Chalet Peaks'' - a holiday village owned by Frank and Helen Sheldon, but run by their son Dan and his wife Debbie. Frank and Helen do not live there, but Dan and Debbie do - as do their three children: grown-up Olly, the only one of the children who also works there, adult teenager Kayley and young teenager Jaimee *''Derbyshire Bank'' - a rarely seen or mentioned financial institution in Malrith *''The Feathers'' - an often mentioned but never seen rival pub *''Hardy's'' - a hybrid business which operates as a newsagent's and also has a small area for hot beverages. This is based on a similar shop in the mid-Derbyshire town of Matlock, and is owned and run by retired doctor Alan Hardy *''High Horses'' - a horse sanctuary which operates as a business within the unseen Mossthwaite Manor (sometimes mockingly referred to as 'Misselthwaite Manor,' the gloomy mansion in The Secret Garden). It is a multi-faceted operation, caring for both regular and race horses, as well as offering riding lessons to locals. It is run via Mossthwaite by the unseen Ormerod family who inhabit the manor. Strong & Stables is run by local independent MP Kate Bagshaw on behalf of the Ormerods. The exact number of Ormerods is unknown, but sometimes mentioned are husband and wife Hugh and Marion, and their son Tobias *''High Tea'' - a punnily-named tearooms owned, run and lived in by Frank and Helen *''Hike Peak'' - a punnily-named hiking company with a shop, owned and run by long-term unmarried couple Neil McIntyre and Gill Nicholls *''Malrith College'' - post-16 educational establishment, attended by students including late teens Kayley Sheldon, Molly Rowland and Seb Seymour *''Malrith High Street'' *''The Mary Mackworth Academy'' - an ailing high school in Malrith which has only just been renamed and converted from a comprehensive school into an academy. This is to the disapproval of long-term headteacher Ruth Hardy, but the approval of deputy head Mindi Singh. Indifferent is new head of English, Tess Rowland, who worked at the school years earlier when it was known as Barton Road Comprehensive. All three live in Miller. The academy itself is named after Mary Mackworth, a fictional Victorian philanthropist who lived in the area in the late 19th century. Mackworth is also a village near Derby *''Meadowgrove'' - livestock farm owned and run by the other side of the Fairfield family. Living there are Stuart's elder brother Patrick, his wife Niamh and their three children: grown-up Drew and Charlotte, who also work on the farm, teenager Isaac and a young, male border collie called Milo *''The Mulberry Arms'' (known as 'The Crown Tavern' in previous versions): a cosy country public house owned by Stuart Fairfield and his ex-wife, Leah McIntyre. However, Stuart divorced Leah some years previously and she disappeared to Malaga. Whilst she is still legally landlady, Stuart ostensibly runs it with his dad Pete, who acts as a pseudo co-landlord. Also living there are Stuart and Leah's three teenage children of varying ages - Aiden, Casey and Flick, who is deaf *''Singh Motors'' - garage owned and run by Deepak Singh *''St. Peter's C of E Church'' - the local Anglican church, which is part of vicar Josh Rowland's parish 'RESIDENTIAL' *''Acacia Cottage'', Laburnum Grove - location of the Rowland home. Resident there are Josh Rowland, Tess Rowland, Molly Rowland, Luke Rowland, Flynn Rowland and Rocco (male labrador puppy) *''Blossom Wood Cottage'', Lydgate Lane - location of the Sheldon home and Chalet Peaks holiday village. Resident there are Dan Sheldon, Debbie Sheldon, Olly Sheldon, Kayley Sheldon, Jaimee Sheldon, Tigger Sheldon (male ginger cat) and Bella Sheldon (female West Highland Terrier) *''Derwent View'', Laburnum Grove - location of the McIntrye/Seymour family home. Resident there are Neil McIntyre, Gill Seymour, Seb Seymour and Seb's two male bearded dragons, Ant and Dec *''Dove Cottage'', Laburnum Grove - location of the Aston/Hardy family home. Resident there are Gabz Aston and her young daughter Ania Aston. However, the cottage actually belongs to Gabz's boyfriend Keiran Aston, who is currently serving a prison sentence at the fictional HMP Sheffield *''Ivy Rose Cottage'', Lydgate Lane - location of the Bagshaw/Draycott family home. Resident there are Kate Bagshaw and grown-up daughter Emma Draycott. Kate also uses it as her parliamentary address, though she holds her surgeries in Bellfield. It is the closest set to the holiday village *''Meadowgrove'', Bellfield Road - location of Meadowgrove Farm (see above for residents) *''Millbrook Cottage'', Laburnum Grove - location of the Hardy family home. Resident there are Ruth and Alan Hardy *''Sunnyside View'', Laburnum Grove - location of the Singh family home. Resident there are Deepak Singh, Mindi Singh, Ashwin Singh, Bina Singh and their three rabbits Buster, Babs and Bugs 'OTHER' *''Malrith MRT'' is the fictional mountain rescure service which covers Malrith (where it's unseen headquarters are based), Bellfield, Greenchapel, Miller and Wolverdere. Several characters work on an ad-hoc, voluntary basis for Malrith MRT, including Neil McIntyre, Gill Seymour, Dan Sheldon, Mindi Singh, Ashwin Singh and Niamh Fairfield Current Cast Past Cast None Complete Cast Category:Browse